For this special bonus episode, Noiser writer Duncan Barrett sat down for a chat with Witold Szabłowski, author of How to Feed a Dictator: Saddam Hussein, Idi Amin, Enver Hoxha, Fidel Castro and Pol Pot Through the Eyes of Their Cooks.
The role of personal chef to a dictator is a fascinating one. It’s an extremely intimate relationship. These cooks have literally nourished tyrants. They’ve satisfied their culinary cravings, altered their moods for better and worse, and even influenced their policies. So what can they tell us about dictators’ appetites?
Real Dictators will return soon for Season 5.
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BONUS: Dictators’ Chefs

Real Dictators is the award-winning podcast that explores the hidden lives of history's tyrants. Hosted by Paul McGann, with contributions from eyewitnesses and expert historians.

New episodes available one week early for Noiser+ subscribers. You'll also get ad-free listening and exclusive content. To find out more about Noiser+, head to noiser.com/subscriptions.

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Production: Joel Duddell, Miriam Baines, Tom Pink, George Tapp, Dorry Macaulay, Cian Ryan-Morgan, Joseph McGann. Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink.

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History

Society & Culture

Drama

Fiction

With the King in captivity, both sides seek a settlement. But when Charles escapes, all trust is broken. For Cromwell there is only one course of action - a solution that will plunge the British Isles into unknown territory. His Majesty must be put on trial…
A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson.
Many thanks to Peter Gaunt, Clare Jackson, Anna Keay, John Morrill, Nicholas O’Shaughnessy, Micheál Ó Siochrú.
This is Part 3 of 4.
Get every episode of Real Dictators a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions
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Oliver Cromwell Part 3: To Kill a King…

England is plunged into conflict. Oliver Cromwell, an obscure politician, soon proves himself an outstanding military commander. King Charles, meanwhile, unveils his own star signing - a dashing young cavalry officer named Prince Rupert. A daring mission featuring the Queen threatens to tip the balance the Royalists’ way. But Cromwell’s New Model Army will prove itself unstoppable…
A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson.
Many thanks to Peter Gaunt, Clare Jackson, Anna Keay, John Morrill, Nicholas O’Shaughnessy, Micheál Ó Siochrú.
This is Part 2 of 4.
Get every episode of Real Dictators a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions.
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Oliver Cromwell Part 2: Civil War Across the Realms

Say “Oliver Cromwell” today and certain things come to mind. He won the English Civil War and prompted the execution of Charles I. He purged the realm with such zeal that he even cancelled Christmas. In Ireland, where Cromwell’s troops besieged its towns with a notorious barbarity, his name is still used as a curse. “The greatest prince that ever ruled England”, as one historian called him? Or, as Winston Churchill would counter, a tyrant and a despot?
A Noiser production, written by Jeff Dawson.
Many thanks to Peter Gaunt, Clare Jackson, Anna Keay, John Morrill, Nicholas O’Shaughnessy, Micheál Ó Siochrú.
This is Part 1 of 4.
Get every episode of Real Dictators a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions
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Oliver Cromwell Part 1: The Rise of Ironsides

A brand-new podcast from the Noiser network. Join domestic historian Ruth Goodman as she explores the remarkable, often epic, tales behind everyday objects.
This taster episode is all about the bath.
A murderous emperor builds the grandest bath complex ever seen in Ancient Rome. The arrival of a new disease spells trouble for the bathhouses of Tudor London. An excitable Victorian clergyman extolls the virtues of skinny dipping. And World War Two plays a surprising role in kickstarting the hot tub craze…
If you enjoy this taster episode, search ‘The Curious History of Your Home’ in your podcast app and hit follow to get new episodes every Tuesday.
Or follow this link: https://podfollow.com/the-curious-history-of-your-home
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Introducing: The Curious History of Your Home - Baths

As a new premier takes charge in Moscow, Hoxha makes a new friend in China. The Albanian dictator tasks an entire media industry with maintaining his image. But as his country sinks into an economic mire and his own health deteriorates, Hoxha and Albania’s isolation will be complete. How will the country even begin to escape his clutches?
A Noiser production, written by Sean Coleman. Many thanks to Bernd Fischer, Artan Hoxha and Shannon Woodcock.
This is Part 2 of 2.
Get every episode of Real Dictators a week early with Noiser+. You’ll also get ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser network. Click the Noiser+ banner to get started. Or, if you’re on Spotify or Android, go to noiser.com/subscriptions
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BONUS: Dictators’ Chefs

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